Parker picked to lead House Republican Caucus

AUSTIN — State Rep. Tan Parker on Wednesday was unanimously elected chairman of the House Republican Caucus, securing the position of chief organizer of the GOP’s overwhelming majority in the lower chamber.

“I am thrilled that the Republican Caucus and the Texas House as a whole are organized and ready for business this quickly, but now the real work begins,” Parker said in a statement, listing among his priorities economic development, job creation and border security.

Parker last month announced his candidacy for chairman. At the time, he had at least one opponent in Rep. Jim Murphy of Houston, who lost his first bid for the post in 2013 to Rep. Brandon Creighton of Conroe.

Parker replaces as Rep. Cindy Burkett of Sunnyvale, who served as acting chairman after Creighton won a promotion to the upper chamber in August.